East County Voices - Childcare and Public Safety

 Friends,

We’re in the third month of the 2013 session, and I can tell you that there’s a lot going on down here in Salem. Over the next three months, we’ll vote on many important issues on the House floor and I hope you’ll continue to stay in touch.

Community News

I’m sure many of you have heard about Marcos Ugarte who saved a young neighbor from a fire last fall. On March 25, Marcos received Citizen Before Self Honors from the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation in Washington, D.C. Marcos is the youngest person ever to receive this honor and I was thrilled to be able to introduce Marcos to the House of Representatives on April 4. Click here to watch Marcos’ introduction in the House.

Paying their fair share

On Tuesday, Democrats took the next step toward stabilizing public education in Oregon. The Revenue Committee discussed proposals to reduce specific corporate and individual tax breaks and loopholes to raise the $275 million needed to budget $6.75 billion in resources for our schools. The proposals include cracking down on offshore corporate tax shelters, reducing the cap on the corporate minimum tax, and means testing and reducing deductions and exemptions for individuals in the highest-earning tax brackets. Corporations and the wealthiest among us must pay their fair share for the schools and services that Oregon needs in order to create a strong economy.

Legislative Updates

Childcare at Community Colleges
On April 1, House Bill 3149 received a public hearing in the House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development. This bill would create a task force to study how we can provide childcare to all students attending community college. Parents already face enough challenges while pursuing a higher education degree and we can remove one of the biggest barriers by providing safe childcare services that they are able to access. Click here to view my testimony on this bill.

Public Safety
House Bill 3097, which I introduced, will create a task force to study how we can create a law enforcement training facility at Mt. Hood Community College. Law enforcement agencies in East County frequently work together, especially through the East County Gang Task Force.  A central facility would benefit East County Communities by ensuring our law enforcement officers are able to train together. It would also help Mt. Hood Community College criminal justice students by allowing them to interact with local law enforcement and have access to state of the art training equipment and materials.

Community Events

You’re invited to join me at the East Portland Transportation Town Hall on Saturday, April 27.

What: East Portland Transportation Town Hall
When: Saturday, April 27 at 12:00pm
Where: IRCO at 10301 NE Glisan St. Portland, OR 97220
Click here for more information.

Stay in Touch

As always, my staff and I love to hear from our constituents and if you have a question or want to let us know what you think about a bill, email me at Rep.ChrisGorsek@state.or.us or call us at 503-986-1449.

Chris Gorsek

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